An Analytic Study of the Arguments for the Necessity of Corporeal Dimension of Man in Mullā Ṣadrā

Philosophical anthropology is one of the important and interesting categories which has attracted the attention of philosophers since the beginning of the history of philosophy. As one of the distinguished philosophers of the world of Islam, Mullā Ṣadrā has paid particular attention to Man and the related problems. One of the important issues in the realm of anthropology is Man’s corporeal dimension and the relevant issues. This paper deals with the necessity of the corporeal dimension of human beings in the view of Mullā Ṣadrā. The authors conclude that this necessity can be demonstrated in the light of some of the philosophical principles of Mullā Ṣadrā such as commensurability, gradation of existence, corporeal origination and spiritual subsistence of the soul, possibility of the lower, Man’s potency for receiving trust, as well as the principle of opposition and some others. They also argue that in Mullā Ṣadrā’s view, the corporeal dimension is in fact necessary for developing a human identity and promoting and perfecting human existence.